Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-05-22

that they adopt it very freely. The fol
/ lowing description of black dress for g
lady of sge from Harper's Bazaar com
mends itself:
! BLACK SILK DRESSES.
! The "best black silk dress" for elderly
ladies', about which correspondents have
asked information, is of the repped silks,
| failIe franchise, or of Bengaline, if the
dress is to be worn at all seasons; but if
meant for summer use only, silk sursh is
chosen. The basque is laid in fan pleats
at the back, while the front is turned
back in revers at the top, reaching only
10 the bust for slender figures, but to the
waist line or lower for those who are
broader. The space inside these revers
may be left quite plain, but for more
dressy old ladies there may be two or
three plastrons used there to vary the
toilette-one of pleated white China
Grape, or of gathered point d'esprit net,
or of black geuze, or Colored
silk vest may be made of laYen-
der, Suede, or other becoming shade.
The greater number of elderly ladies,
however, prefer this basque gil black,
using their own real lace of fine black
Chentilly in a jabot down each side of
the buttons, With some pendant drops of
Jet amid the lace, or else with Jet in the
collar and the small cuffs of the coat
sleeves; q lace shawl is then draped
across the front, or pointed toward the
right side, with the left side laid in pleats
of the silk, or else trimmed with lace
iabot, or with lengthwise rows of the
lace, set on with bands OF MORE ribbon
between. For palmer tastes the black
silk skirt is laid in three wide box pleSts
on the front and sides, separated by
small plests, and these may be left plain,
or else little Jet or lace or bands of
Watered ribbon can be set on the wide
panel pleats; the drspery is then con-
fined to the back, and is in two wing like
points, or swings in shawl shapes, or IS
in straight wide pleats dropping over the
top in short Arab folds. There should
be no looping to these back draperies,
nor puffs across the tOurnure that re-
quire to be adjusted after the wearer has
been sitting. Long, straight effects
should be sought, made full enough
to avoid all appearance of scantiness,
and falling into soft folds in any
position. A foot pleating may be added
TO the foundation skirt, but is not visible
outside; a pipked black silk 'balayeuse
plCdIluS luSlu6 tue ldSlLS gives u6dI
finish. If front drapery is required by
slight figures, it may be in short curves
across the hips, or else there may be q
long pleated fan apron, with the pleats
well defined down the middle, and the
sides curving up 10 the hips; such aprons
are again edged with lace put on in slight
gathers under q hem, without sny head
ing. Folds of silk muslin or of canvas are
the lingerie for these dresses.
Satins and brocades, which are not |
now generally used, are still in favor for !
trained dressed for elderly ladies. Worth |
uses special brocades of black, steel gray, |
golden brown, or gray-blue for these |
stately gowns, with very large designs of |
flower branches, each branch more than |
half yard long, or else of large oval
links, or of grest fern leaves OF satin sunk
in repped silk surfaces OF the same shade.
BALL DRESS.
A pretty dancing dress for g young isdy
is made of white China Grape over g slip
Of white faille. The long draperies Of
the Grape are arranged in diagonal folds
across the entire front of the dress, and
kept in place by clusters of large creamy
lvet-hesrted marguerites. Epaulettes
If the same flowers mingled with drop
ping green foliage, are set on the right
shoulder of the V-shaped bodice, which
IS OF the Grape, with the lowcut underlin-
ng of the silk. The bebe sleeves are
made of lace. The dress entire would
make charming one for first ball. !